Suction cleaner



May 12, 1936. D. e. SMELLIE SUCTION CLEANER 7 Filed Dec. 20, 19:53

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 v 3L ATTORNEY zgdness:

May 12,1936. D. G. SMELLIE SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec'. 20, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY May 12, 1936. b. a. SMELLIE SUCTION cmmmn 5 Filed Dec. 20, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR DorzaZd 6. JmcZZz'c' ATTORNEY.

Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED OFFICE poration of Ohio Application December 20, 1933, Serial No. l03,16'l

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and particularly to new and novel improvements in the cleaning operation of a suction cleaner. More specifically the invention comprises ,a suction cleaner provided with beating and brushing elements which are positively driven by an actuating motor, there being means included in the cleaner which control the surfacecovering-contact sequence of the beating and brushing elements. 7

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved suctioncleaner. It is a further object to provide a suction cleaner including surface-agitating means in combination with means to vary the operation of the agitating means. Still another object is the provision in a suction cleaner of agitating means comprising rigid beating elements and flexible brush elements which contact the surface covering in a predetermined order, means being provided to alter the sequence of agitating element contact. A still further object is the provision of a suction cleaner including a rotary agitator having rigid heating elements and flexible brush elements, means being provided to vary the sequence of surface contact of the elements. Another object is the provision of a suction cleaner having a motor-driven rotary agitator, means being provided to reverse the direction of agitator rotation. These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims, and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed:

Figure l is a side elevation of a modern suction cleaner embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross sectionthrough the machine shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross section upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4- illustrates the angle of brush shift possible in the cleaner motor;

Figure 5 is a partial bottom view of the cleaner;

Figure 6 is a section through the cleaner agitator upon the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a schematic diagram of the electrical hook-up of the cleaner;

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram similar to Figure 7 with the connections changed to cause the rotor to rotate in the opposite direction;

Figure 9 is a section through the motor-rotation-controlling switch of a second preferred embodiment, being taken uponthe line 9-8 of Figure 10;

Figure 10 is a partial transverse cross section through the cleaner motor of the second embodiment showing the motor-controlling-rotation switch;

Figure 11 is a. schematic diagram of the electrical circuit of the second embodiment of the invention.

The modern suction cleaner includes suctioncreating means which function to draw cleaning air over and through the surface covering undergoing cleaning and into the cleaner nozzle in combination with surface-agitating means which cooperate with the cleaning air. The improved modern agitator includes rigid beating elements and flexible brush elements. The preferred types of agitators are rotary, the agitating elements being carried by a rotatably mounted body and extending beyond the normal contour thereof. In the suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention the rotary agitator is provided with the usual agitating elements which extend longitudinally of the agitator and are positioned closely adjacent each other, and, depending upon direction of rotation of the agitator, one of the two elements contacts the surface covering undergoing cleaning first and the remaining element contacts therewith immediately thereafter. If the agitator rotates in such a direction that the rigid heating element first contacts the surface covering a severe blow is imparted to that covering which is immediately followed by the brushing action of the flexible bristle brush, the rigid element accomplishing the entire covering displacement. This relationship results in most effective cleaning accompanied by considerable noise. If the agitator is driven in the opposite direction the flexible brush element first contacts the surface covering resulting in some displacement thereof and that contact is followed immediately by the contact of the rigid heating element which imparts an additional force to the covering and produces greater displacement. This relationship pmduces cleaning with less noise than that first mentioned. In a suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention, means have been included which permit the rotation of the cleaner agitator in either direction, as will be hereinafter fully explained.

Referring to the drawings again a modern suetion cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention is clearly disclosed. As seen in Figure 1 the outer body of the machine comprises the nozzle I, a fan chamber 2, an. air passageway 3 connecting the fan chamber with the exhaust outlet 4, and a dust bag 5 which is detachably connected to the outlet. The cleaner body is removably supportedupon front wheels 6, 6 and rear wheels 1, I. The front wheels are provided with means, indicated generally by the reference character 8, by which they may be raised and lowered relative to the cleaner body for the purpose of raising or lowering the nozzle I, and more particularly the front and rear lips 9 and I0 thereof,

relative to the surface covering undergoing cleaning. As in the usual suction cleaner a pivoted handle II is provided through which the operator can exert a propelling force. The incoming power leads [2, I2 enter the handle I I near its extends from the fan chamber to the exhaust outlet. The motor casing is suitably and removably mounted within the casing 3 by means of supports I5, I5. The motor field I6 is carried interiorly of the casing I4 and surrounds the rotating armature Ihwhich is carried by the shaft I8 which in turn is rotatably supported at the ends of the casing I4 in roller bearings I9, I9. The forward end of the shaft I8 extends through the fan chamber 2 and into the nozzle I carrying the suction-creating fan 20 in the former and the driving pulley 2I in the latter.

A rotary agitator 22 is rotatably mounted within the nozzle I upon a through supporting shaft 23 and includes a substantially cylindrical body provided. with brush seats within which are mounted the flexible bristle. brushes 24, 24. Upon the surface of the body and extended longitudinally thereof and at the side of and adjacenteach brush 24 is a rigid surface-contacting beater element 25. Agitator 22 is formed with a grooved portion 26 of smaller diameter at'substantially its mid-portion which serves as a pulley. e power'from the'rotating motor shaft, and particularly the driving pulley 2I' thereof, is transmitted to the rotatable agitator, and specifically to the pulley 26 thereof,

by means of the belt 21, clearly indicated in Figure -2. Obviously the direction of'rotation of the motor shaft determines the direction of rotation of the agitator and so the sequence of contact of the adjacent beater and brush elements.

The direction of motor rotation is controlled by a construction which is best illustrated in substance in Figure 3, and diagrammatically in Figures 7 and 8. A fixed ring 28 of insulating material surrounds the motor shaft at one end of the motor casing I4 adjacent the commutator 29. A second ring 30 is mounted for limited arcuate movementor rotation about the motor shaft, being provided with slots 3|, 3| which slidingly enclose pins or screws 32, 32 carried by the fixed ring 28. Spaced pairs of stationary contacts 33, 33 and 34, 34 are mounted upon the fixed ring 28 and are connected by leads 35 to the motor brushes 36, 36 carried by/rthe ring 30 at diametrically spaced points on the commutator 29. The contacts of each pair are connected to different brushes. Spaced contacts 31, 3'! are carried by adjustable ring-30, one for each of the pairs 33, 33 and 34, 34 of stationary contacts. Each contact 31 contacts only one stationary contact but is movable to the remaining contact of the pair depending upon the angular rotation of the ring 30. Each contact 3'! is directly connected to an incoming power lead I2 which has passed through a part of the motor field I6, as is clearly shown in Figures '7 and 8. It is noted that one of the leads I2 has divided. into leads I2a. and. I2b after passing through the switch I3 in order to make possible two speed operation of the motor, the inner ends of the leads being connected to spaced points on one branch of themotor field I6.

The manual adjustment of the brush-carrying and the contact-carrying ring 30 is made possible through the provision of a vertically slidable plunger or arm 39 which seats on a pin 40 carried by the ring :30 and which extends upwardly through the casings I4 and 3, being slidably enclosed therebetween in a mounting 4| which is sealed at its end to the two casings to prevent the leakage of air. A spring-pressed detent 42 is carried by the casing 3 and is adapted to cooperate with two spaced recesses 43, 43 in the arm 39 to retain resistingly the arm in one of two positions. As is clearly seen in Figure 3 the top of the arm 39 is provided with a head making manual adjustment thereof easy of accomplishment.

The operation of the cleaner constructed in accordance with this embodiment of the invention is quite simple. To start the machine the operator operates the switch I3 closing either the high speed or the low speed circuit. In either event current passes through the field coils I6, I6 and to the contacts 31, 31 carried by the ring 30. Upon starting the motor the ring 30 and the contacts 31, 31 can be positioned as shown in Figure 7 and the motor armature and commutator will rotate in the direction of the arrow. As the direction of agitator rotation is directly controlled by the direction of motor rotation, the agitator will rotate in a definite direction, say with the rigid .agitating element 25 contacting the surface covering ahead of the flexible brush element 24, that would be with the agitator rotating in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2. This operation would be very eifectivebut relatively noisy. Upon the operator reaching a decision to reverse the direction of agitator rotation to accomplish cleaning with less noise the arm 39 would be manually moved from the full line position shown in Figure 3 to the dotted line position. This movement of plunger.39 results in the rotation of the ring 30 upon the ring 28 and the shifting of each contact 31 to the opposite contact of each pair 33,33 and 34, 34. The relationship between the flux in the field and in the armature has been reversed and the armature rotates in the opposite direction, or that indicated by the arrow in Figure 8. As is clearly seen in Figures 7 and 8, and as is apparent from a consideration of Figure 3, the change and accurate adjustment of the ring has also resulted in change in the position of the brushes 36, 35. Referring to Figure 4, in parbrushes, only one brush of each pair being in the electrical circuit of the machine at any one time. In the present embodiment the currentcarrying leads l2, l2 extend directly to a switch 50 after passing the field portions l6, IS. The switch 50 is adapted to connect each lead II to one brush of each of the two pairs of brushes 36a, 36a, and 36b, 36!). To accomplish this purpose stationary contacts 5Ia, Sla, and ill), 5H),

are provided in the switch 50 which are directly connected to the brushes 36a, 36b and 36a, 36b, respectively. With the switch 50 so positioned that the contacts Ha, Ha, are contacted the current passes through the motor armature in one direction. With the contacts lb, 5lb contacted the current from each incoming power lead I! passes through the commutator and the armature in the opposite direction. The direction of motor rotation is controlled, as in the first em-' bodiment by connection through the armature. No brush shifting is required in this embodiment as the two brushes in the electrical circuit at any given time are correctly positioned for the rotation which results when they are connected.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a drivingm'otor, a rigid beating agitating element, a brush element, saidelements arranged in said cleaner so as to contact the surface cov-v ering undergoing cleaningat'substantially identical points, said elements being adapted to contact the surface covering in a certain sequence, and manually operable means to alter the sequence-of said contact.

.2. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a reversible driving motor, a rigid beating element, a brush element, said elements arranged, in said cleaner so as to contact the surface cov-. ering undergoing cleaning at substantially identical points, means connecting said elements to said motor to drive said elements in a certain sequenceof covering contact; and means to reverse the direction of motor rotation to alter the sequence of covering contact. i

3. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle, a motor, suction-creating means connected to said nozzle and adapted to lift a. surface covering undergoing cleaning, a rigid beating element in said nozzle adapted to strike and depress the lifted surface covering, a flexible agitating element in said nozzle adapted to contact and depress the lifted surface covering at substantially the same point as said rigid element and with less abruptness,

, means mounting said elements so that either of said elements can first contact and depress the surface covering and so that the remaining element can contact the covering while depressed, and means to reverse the sequence of contact of said elements.

4. The construction recited by claim 3 characterized in that said elements are mounted on a rotary body and in that said reversing means nozzle, a rigid heating element carried by said agitator adapted to strike and depress the lifted surface covering, a flexible agitating element carried by said agitator adapted to contact and depress the lifted surface covering at substantially the same point as said rigid element and with less abruptness, said elements being cir-' cumferentially spaced on said agitator, powertransmitting means connecting said motor to said agitator, and means to reverse the direction of motor rotation.

6. Ina suction cleaner, a nozzle, motor, suction-creating means connected to said nozzle and adapted to lift a surface covering undergoing cleaning, a rotary agitatorin said nozzle, a rigid beating element carried by said agitator rotation by reversing the direction of a reversible agitator adapted to strike and depress thelifted surface covering, a flexible agitating element car: ried by said agitator adapted to contact and depress the lifted'surface covering at substantially the samepoint as said rigid element and with less abruptness, said elements being cirried by said agitator adapted to contact and depress the lifted surface covering at'substantially the samepoint as said rigid element and with-less abruptness, said elements being circumferentially spaced on said agitator, powertransmittlng means connecting said motor to said agitator, and means to reverse the direction of agitator rotation by reversing the direction of motor rotation, said last mentioned means comprising manually operable means to alter the electrical circuit of said motor to reverse its direction of rotation, said means also functioning to shift the motor brushes.

8. A suction cleaner having a nozzle, a fan chamber, a motor having a commutator and brushes, a fan in said fan chamber driven by said motor, and a rotary agitator in said nozzle connected to said motor and provided with rigid beating elements and flexible surface-contacting elements so spaced and arranged that different agitating effects are produced upon a covering undergoing cleaning when said agitator is rotated in different directions, characterized in that certain of said-motor brushes are omitted from the electrical circuit in the operation of said machine and in that means are provided to connect the unused brushes and to omit the used brushes from the electrical circuit for the purpose of causing the motor and so the agitator to rotate in the opposite direction.

DONALD G. SMELLIE. 

